


Strangers With Familiar Faces

by TooManyBooksToRead



Series: Fake Maes AU [3]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, No actual dub or noncon but gracia does fear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22581265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooManyBooksToRead/pseuds/TooManyBooksToRead
Summary: They will be fine. As long as they're careful they will be fine.
Relationships: Gracia Hughes/Maes Hughes
Series: Fake Maes AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1625317
Comments: 12
Kudos: 58





	Strangers With Familiar Faces

**Author's Note:**

  * For [icewhisper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/icewhisper/gifts).



Gracia was careful to be silent as she carried Elicia off for bed.

Usually, Maes would have done this, insisted she already took care of her all day so she deserved the nightly rest. Usually, Elicia would’ve asked to stay up later so Papa could tell her a story.

Today wasn’t like usual.

She walked through the house, careful to avoid any too dark shadows and keeping a tight grip on Elicia while they walked to her bedroom.

She strained to hear what was happening in the kitchen where she’d left it. But she kept walking, it was trying to keep up the façade so, as much as it pained her, Elicia would be safer in her own room. Her own room where she’d be alone, but she’d be away.

She opened the door, mindful of the creaky hinge – should she oil it or would it be better to know when the door was opened? Better to know when it was close to her?

Elicia’s room was exactly as she’d left it but for a tiny sheet of paper fluttering to the ground from her opening the door. She’d replace it on her way out.

Carefully she helped Elicia into her nightclothes and then tucked her into bed. Her little girl was halfway to sleep already but when she turned to leave the room she felt a tiny hand grab hers with all the strength it had.

“Momma,” her voice was soft, tired too, “momma where’s Daddy?”

Graca glanced nervously at the door, silence and no shadow from the other side. They were fine, for now at least.

She turned to look at her baby girl, her wonderful smart girl that had figured it out – with her father’s eyes and cleverness. She slowly drew her finger to her lips making sure Elicia looked at her.

Elicia looked back at her, just like she always did when they were in the kitchen together or how she looked at her father when he taught her anything new, and she nodded slowly.

Gracia couldn’t stay here much longer. It would get suspicious and she had no desire to draw that kind of attention to her daughter.

“Goodnight Elicia,” she whispered kissing her forehead.

Then she walked out the door replacing the tiny sheet of paper on its place by the door.

She pressed her forehead against the cool wooden frame and drew slow even breaths, and when it came to hug her from behind forced herself to lean into its touch rather than away from it.

“Is she asleep already,” it asked in a voice too familiar to feel this alien.

“Yes,” she replied turning to get out of its hold without seeming too eager.

It made a low humming sound that was so much like Maes, it almost could’ve fooled her. “Wanna turn in too?” it asked grabbing her hand and gently putting a kiss to it, just like her husband would’ve done.

She looked up into its eyes, cold and empty and full of contempt like she’d never seen on Maes.

It was an unneeded reminder of the monster in his place.

“Yes,” she said with a faked yawn, “I’d like that.”

It started steering her in the direction of her room – not theirs, never that _thing’s_ – and she let herself be guided despite knowing the way.

It was going to considerable lengths to try to fool them if they played along they’d be fine. If she played along Elicia would be fine.

She went to the adjoining bathroom to change into her nightclothes and started settling into bed.

“Aren't you coming to bed honey?” she asked because she needed it to think everything was normal. Needed it to believe it had them fooled.

“I have some work to finish, sweetheart,” it said – Maes never brought work home – with what she thought was supposed to be a disappointed look, “I’ll come in later tonight.”

“Alright,” she said sweetly even as the blood froze in her body. It hadn't done anything, not yet at least.

As it turned off the light and left she hoped her luck held out, and if she stiffened when she felt the bed shift from its weight on it no one else ever had to know.

As long as it believed them ignorant and foolish they'd be okay.

They would be.

**Author's Note:**

> Blame this on Crissy from the snipers discord who threw this au into my life and now gets to feel the pain it wrought.


End file.
